The directorial debut of actor Paul Dano, Wildlife is based on the 1990 novel by Richard Ford, and is written for the screen by Dano and his girlfriend Zoe Kazan (with Dano also serving as producer, and Kazan as executive producer). Looking at the implosion of a family from the perspective of a 14-year-old member of said family, although Wildlife is a piece of remarkably nostalgic filmmaking, at the same time, it tells something of a modern story. Subtly depicting an Americana on the cusp of massive social upheaval, the film demonstrates the uncertainty with which second-wave feminism manifested itself at a grassroots level prior to really taking off in 1963. Although it's essentially a character study, the film also suggests the 1950s-style clean-cut, neatly trimmed, rigidly defined way of life, built around the perfect nuclear family wherein a wife must be subservient to her husband, is about to become a thing of the past. Understated, restrained, narratively precise, but still granting the characters room to breathe, the film is emotional without being melodramatic, encouraging empathy without manipulating the audience.
For my complete review, please visit: https://boxd.it/yKxnZ
Shout by Stephen CampbellBlockedParent2022-10-14T21:36:12Z
Old-fashioned filmmaking in the best sense
The directorial debut of actor Paul Dano, Wildlife is based on the 1990 novel by Richard Ford, and is written for the screen by Dano and his girlfriend Zoe Kazan (with Dano also serving as producer, and Kazan as executive producer). Looking at the implosion of a family from the perspective of a 14-year-old member of said family, although Wildlife is a piece of remarkably nostalgic filmmaking, at the same time, it tells something of a modern story. Subtly depicting an Americana on the cusp of massive social upheaval, the film demonstrates the uncertainty with which second-wave feminism manifested itself at a grassroots level prior to really taking off in 1963. Although it's essentially a character study, the film also suggests the 1950s-style clean-cut, neatly trimmed, rigidly defined way of life, built around the perfect nuclear family wherein a wife must be subservient to her husband, is about to become a thing of the past. Understated, restrained, narratively precise, but still granting the characters room to breathe, the film is emotional without being melodramatic, encouraging empathy without manipulating the audience.
For my complete review, please visit: https://boxd.it/yKxnZ